The 33-year-old arrives with a wealth of experience across the football pyramid, accumulating over 110 goals across an established footballing career.

Rhys spent his formative years at Arsenal, breaking and holding the record for almost 20 years for most goals scored by a schoolboy in Arsenal’s U18’s team, after netting 20 goals in the 2006/07 season. Following his successful youth career at the North London side, the striker then went on to spend his following years at various clubs across the football league, including Preston North End, Oldham Athletic, AFC Wimbledon and Forest Green Rovers.

Some of Murphy’s most prolific campaigns in front of goal have come in the last few years, scoring 28 goals in all competitions for Chelmsford City in 2018/19, before netting 29 goals over two seasons for Yeovil Town in the National League between 2019 and 2021.

Following a two-year stint at Southend United, the striker returned to The Glovers at the start of last season, his 10 goals in 25 appearances last term concluded an impressive scoring record in Somerset of 49 goals in 95 games across the two spells.

Upon his arrival, Rhys stated: “This is a club that’s so used to success, I’m very excited to come and be a part of it, add to it, and learn as much as I can. I spoke to a few people before signing, there’s some really good people here at the club, from top to bottom, that’s something you want to be a part of as well. You’re around the people you work with a lot, you spend a lot of time with them, time that you’re giving up of your life, you want to make sure you’re around good people and the right people.”

Marc White also added: “In every strategy, we make no secret of the fact that we want to bounce back straight away. I felt like we needed to add goals into the team, Rhys is a prolific England schoolboy, extremely professional, relatively local living in Worthing. He plays between the boxes, a real out and out goal scorer.

When you’re trying to win a title, you need to have four to five boys that can score goals, Rhys joins Jason, Alfie, and a returning McShane as part of our strike force. We’re trying to win a division, and with that you need to make strategical choices.”

Along with our three other new signings, Rhys will join up with the squad at the end of June as pre-season preparations commence.

Murphy’s contract with Dorking Wanderers will come into effect from 1st July onwards, in line with his contract at Yeovil Town expiring at the end of June.

The club will announce a full squad list, along with official squad numbers, later this week.